Factbox: Ethiopia's war also takes toll on its cultural heritage

FILE PHOTO: Ethiopian Orthodox priests attend the Easter Eve celebration at the St. Mary Rock-Hewn church in Lalibela, Ethiopia, May 1, 2021. Picture taken May 1, 2021. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri/File Photo

NAIROBI (Reuters) - The year-old conflict in northern Ethiopia has taken a toll on the country's ancient cultural heritage sites as well as inflictng an enormous human cost.

Some have been damaged by shelling, artefacts have been looted, and countless others are inaccessible to worshippers and pilgrims, according to local residents and priests. Religious leaders say scores of priests have been killed.